Overview

A fashion icon in her own time, the dress and interiors adopted by Marie Antoinette in the final decades of the 18th century have had a lasting influence over 250 years of design, fashion, film and the decorative arts. Through a wide range of objects, from her own surviving possessions to 21st-century couturier’s gowns such as those of John Galliano for Dior and Alexander McQueen, this richly illustrated book explores how and why the ill-fated Queen of France has provided a constant source of inspiration. It considers afresh the legacy of a complex figure whose style, youth and notoriety have all contributed to her timeless appeal.

Full Product Details

Author:   Sarah Grant ,  Manolo Blahnik ,  Sofia Coppola ,  Antonia Fraser
Publisher:   V & A Publishing
Imprint:   V & A Publishing
ISBN:  

9781838510541

ISBN 10:   1838510540
Pages:   304
Publication Date:   11 September 2025
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Available To Order  
We have confirmation that this item is in stock with the supplier. It will be ordered in for you and dispatched immediately.

Table of Contents

Forewords Manolo Blahnik Antonia Fraser Part One -  Marie Antoinette: the origins of a style icon 1700-1800 1. The Queen's Petit Trianon and intimate apartments, Hélène Delalex 2. Silk in the time of Marie Antoinette, Lesley Miller 3. Marie Antoinette and French court dress, Sarah Grant 4. Marie Antoinette's jewels, Vincent Meylan 5. Toiles de Jouy: Marie Antoinette and Cottagecore, Silvija Banic and Jessica Harpley 6. The role of scent in Marie Antoinette myth and memory, Sarah Grant 7. The universe at her feet, Helena Cox 8. Never without a fan, Helena Cox 9. In her own words: the fate of Marie Antoinette's letters, Catriona Seth Part Two - Marie Antoinette Memorialised and Restyled (1800-today) 10. Eugénie and the cult of Marie Antoinette, Alison McQueen 11. Fancy Dress balls, Susan North 12. Enchantment and illusion 1890-1930, Sarah Grant 13. Marie Antoinette and sapphic love, Daniel Slater 14. Marie Antoinette re-styled: her influence on fashion and feminism in the modern era, Oriole Cullen 15. Marie Antoinette performed, Harriet Reed 16. 'Let them Eat Cake': the birth of a myth, Colin Jones 17. Madame Tussaud and Marie Antoinette noir, Zoe Louca-Richards Notes Bibliography  Picture Credits Acknowledgements Index

Reviews

Author Information

Sarah Grant is Senior Curator, Prints at the V&A

Tab Content 6

Author Website:  

Countries Available

All regions